Carson shows his cards

Richard Carson, an independent candidate for the open 18th Legislative District seat, is making no secret of his reason for running. Carson lives in the Hockinson area and has been a vocal opponent of the Bonneville Power Administration’s proposed 500-kilovolt transmission towers, which would rise nearby.

Although the BPA is a federal agency, Carson, formerly Clark County’s director of community development, says there’s plenty the state Legislature could do to stop the project.

Among his suggestions (seriously!):

Budget money for Washington State University Vancouver to study the public health implications of the transmission lines on adjacent property owners;

Direct the state attorney general to help property owners impacted by the towers claim compensation for lost property value;

Refer to voters a measure broadening the definition of eminent domain in order to force the BPA to pay property owners for “health and visual impacts:;

Sponsor legislation and a budget that directs the state lands commissioner to offer state trust lands to BPA in lieu of the lands targeted for the towers in Clark and Cowlitz counties.

Carson provided no cost estimate for his proposals.

Kathie Durbin